Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 22

FT) 1 Tuesday January 16, 1998 Decatur, Illinois Serving Central Illinois Since 1873 Unfinished Business i wii ADM seeks outsiders 0 Id) 0 UU Lf Nation still has a long way to go, say people remembering King. Changes recommended for board of directors. Associated Press By BILL RUMINSKI Business Editor 1 ,7. I More work is needed to turn the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. into reality, former U.S.

Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders said Monday at one of the nation's many observances of the slain civil rights leader's birthday. "He left us the movement that we shall overcome, but I'm not sure we've overcome," Elders told a crowd of about 4,000 at the University of Michigan in Ann "We still have a long way to go." Elders, the first black surgeon general, said that if King were alive today, he would be saddened by the breakdown of families, de DECATUR The Archer Daniels Midland often criticized for its close-knit board of directors, will add more outsiders to the board this year. Even more changes could be in store if the board adopts the advice in a governance report it received Monday. Among the suggestions is to have outsiders comprise the majority of directors; trim the board from 17 members to no more than 15; set an age limit of 70 for nonmanagement directors; and create an ongoing committee to oversee legal and social issues. Ten of Milt 1 I ji'Y'' caying neighborhoods and the rise in young people killing each other.

King, who would have been 67 Monday, was killed April 4, 1968. His birthday was made a federal holiday in 1986, and President ADM's 17 directors are current or former ADM executives or have family ties to the company. Critics have renewed their questions about the board's indepen Elders More work is needed Andreas Says more outside directors will be added. 1 1 Br t- in Herald ReviewDennis Ma gee MOVING PICTURE: Gloria Cole makes her way Monday afternoon supporting one of her favorite images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ifbuth carry on timeless message By ROBIN RIVERS Staff Writer TT esus Christ was in the lr- in )imiiinlllllinin I I ii -)Wi -iinilin--liii 1 mmt house. And music rocked the rafters praising him and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during celebrations Monday at Decatur's St. Patrick Catholic Church.

Clinton-marked it by preaching racial unity from King's former pulpit in Atlanta. Observances elsewhere ranged from somber to festive, some focused on ordinary people, others on national leaders. Del Charles, organizer of a march in Little Rock, said Shriners, Masons, classic cars and anyone who wanted to could join the parade because King believed in inclusion. At a church scarred by the federal building bombing last April in Oklahoma City, the disaster only reinforced King's message "Those who perpetuated this crime against those 19 beautiful children and those wonderful adults did not know his ideas," said Dr. Jihad Ahmad, a local civil rights leader.

Several hundred people marched through downtown Memphis, to the National Civil Rights Museum, built around the Lorraine Motel where King was assassinated. A white supremacist who wanted to "congratulate" New Hampshire for not adopting a legal Martin Luther King holiday accused the state of allowing 200 angry protesters to shout him down. The city of Mesa, again did not officially participate in the King holiday. In 1992, Arizona became the only state not to approve a King holiday by popular vote. "Mesa is a big deal," said Gene Blue, chairman of the Arizona Martin Luther King Day Committee.

"It shows this victory is far from won." dence since ADM became embroiled in a federal price-fixing investigation last summer. "Since several of our senior directors are unlikely to stand for re-election this year, we will be adding more outside directors at our next annual meeting, which will bring us into conformity with (the) principal recommendation," ADM Chairman Dwayne O. Andreas said in a statement Monday. The company would not say which directors are unlikely to seek re-election. The age cap, if adopted, would not apply to the five non-employee directors who are 70 or older.

And it was unclear Monday whether the rule might affect Margaretta "Happy" Rockefeller, widow of former vice president Nelson A. Rockefeller, who was 69 when the company published its proxy statement last summer. Andreas called for a review of the board's structure and operations in October. Directors Ray Goldberg, a Harvard professor, and O. Glenn Webb, chairman of Growmark, were picked to lead the committee.

Assisting in the review were Michael P. Dooley, a University of Virginia law professor, and Thomas N. Urban, a Harvard University business professor and chairman of Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. ADM Continued on A4 LJ I have seen black only, white only, Negro, colored. I have seen it all, and it's not Debra Harris, master of ceremonies As Franklin Elementary student Nate Atkins stood on the podium to read his winning essay, he was blinded by a cameraman's light.

But Nate quickly recovered as he spoke about Dr. King's legacy. "Martin Luther King is a man who I will remember," he said. "Today Martin Luther King's work is carried on by his sons and daughters. Sometimes it seems like we are working too slowly." Ethan Karriger of Roosevelt Middle School also spoke "We should speak out Those who listen will begin to help others," he said.

"We should get more and more people to do good instead of bad Uiings. We need to empower people to make a difference in everyone's life." Associated Press STANDING TOGETHER: President Bill Clinton holds the hand of Coretta Scott King as they depart Ebenezer Baptist Church with her son, Dexter Scott King, left, following a service honoring the late Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday in Atlanta. Clinton urged Americans to mark the King holiday by reaching out to each other across racial divides. "I am a child of the South," master of ceremonies Debra Harris said.

"I have seen black only, white only, Negro, colored. I have seen it all, and it's not pretty." But it was the children who had not seen all of that who evoked roars of applause and a few tears from local residents who packed the church to celebrate Dr. King's birthday. "Martin Luther King died for us to save our country," said 8-year-old Darius Rodgers. He was a part of the Maranatha Super Choir who performed "J.C.

is in the house" before an excited crowd. A call for action To some members of Cyrenity Black Men's Support Group, Martin Luther King crusade isn't about marches and parades it's about action. After the march Marchers who turned out for Decatur's annual King Day celebration were encouraged to move beyond the dream and honor King with their lives. Related stories A3 tin I MM. raocts EMM SJDTI TODAY: Mostly cloudy High of 44.

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Low of 35. Details B10 School board says it may make cuts instead By RON INGRAM Staff Writer 'lynx I I Church Street Pub Former Hillsboro Methodist Church becomes an elegant eatery. Among Friends AS Si MACON A proposal to refinance computers purchased from IBM by using a new bond issue was rejected Monday by the Meridian School Board. Four of the seven board members said they would not support the bond issue, which would have been subject to a backdoor referendum if school district voters had petitioned the board within 30 days of its approving the new bonds.

Board members Terry Rpnfrpw)anH Movies A8 Obituaries A11 Puzzles B7-9 Television A9 ery year. "It sounds like we're trying to pull the wool over people's eyes," Mitchell said. "It was not hidden from the board. There is a line item for $120,000 for IBM." Jack Magruder, a public finance officer with Harris Bank of Chicago, told the board it could save about $50,000 by paying off the district's extended purchase contract with IBM now instead of letting it run three more years. He said the net savings to the school district would be between $10,000 and $12,000 once legal fees and interest on the proposed new bonds were taken into account.

The school district has about $401,000 left to pay if the contract runs to maturity, Magruder said. Hogan told the audience of about 50 district residents that the timing is wrong for issuing the computer bonds. "We're not being fair with taxpayers," Hogan said. MERIDIAN Continued on A4 Ann Landers. A8 Business.

A12 Comics. B5 Lifestyle. 50 cents Our 123rd year Issue 16 Two sections Kevin Janvrin said they were unaware of the IBM contract prior to July and questioned why the board had not been made aware of it earlier. The contract for more than $500,000 was a debt of ITU the former Macon School District which was assumed 5 years later, debate lingers over Gulf War, Saddam World ES by the Meridian district created when Macon and Blue Mound-Boody merged on July 1, 1994. But Superintendent Roger Mitchell said the IBM contract had been in the school district's budget ev- liiilulililil '02138 "00001 'i lit 1 RRflR name is Kenneth Renfro.

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